Hero and Gentleman
by velted
Summary: A collection of short, fluffy stories involving a certain self-proclaimed American hero and a certain self-proclaimed English gentleman. America/England.
1. Stickers

**Title:** Stickers  
**Rating/Warnings:** PG  
**Summary:**Glow-in-the-dark stickers... Lots of things you can do with them, you could recreate the night sky or well, get creative with it like America did.

* * *

"Remind me again why you're here."

"A sleepover, England! A sleepover! It'd be fun!" America exaclaimed, throwing his arms up in emphasis of just how delightful this unplanned event is going to be. "You really are getting old, aren't you?"

"It was a rhetorical question. And the last I remembered, a sleepover actually requires having an invitation from the host."

"Alrighty then! I hereby officially invite you to my awesome sleepover!"

"You are in _my_house."

"Doesn't matter since I'm the one who called for this! Look, I even went through the trouble of bringing an extra sleeping bag just for you!" America said and proceeded to pull out two sleeping bags from the large – he now knew why – luggage he brought along with him. "Come on, England!"

"This is ridiculous," England muttered with a sigh, already turning to head for his bedroom. "You can have this silly little sleepover by yourself if you want. I'll be in my room if you need any–..."

America pulled on the hem of his shirt to stop him from leaving. He turned with a glare, wanting to show him that his decision was final but regretted it almost instantly, having been greeted with America's signature move in getting his way – the kicked puppy look. "Please?"

He gritted his teeth, wondering if the idiot was even conscious of what he is doing at times. "_Fine_. But only because you are being so goddamned persistent about it." And not because he was being soft or anything.

"Yesss!"

"Right. And what do you propose we do on this sleepover?"

America, git he was, just grinned in an endearingly stupid manner and turned his luggage over. England just stared, watching as at least fifty (he might be exagerrating a little but it was around there) DVDs poured out from it. How he could even fit those in there would forever be a wonder to the him. "Watch movies. What else? You can have the first pick, if you want."

"This is just going to be lovely, isn't it?" England muttered sarcastically to himself. Fortunately or unfortunately for him, America caught his words but not the sarcasm.

"Of course it is! Now go on and choose one. Don't worry about picking a bad movie though since all of these here are awesome movies straight from Hollywood!"

Not even looking at the titles, England just reached out and randomly picked one up. "This."

America blinked at the title before grinning and taking it away from his hand. "_Planes, Trains and Automobiles_? A most excellent choice, sir." An odd look then crossed America's face. It was gone so quickly though that England almost thought he imagined it. "While I set things up, why don't you go get some pillows and blankets for us?"

England quirked an eyebrow. "You are planning something, aren't you?

"W-What? No, of course not! Why would you think that?" America replied almost immediately, his eyes darting around in a nervous manner. England sighed. The loud-mouthed nation is so obvious at times it was painful to watch. He decided he could play along with America just this once, and then sighed quietly as he mentally berated himself. How many times had he actually played along with America 'just this once'?

"Ah, I suppose I am just overthinking things. Very well, I'll get them."

He could only hope he wouldn't regret his decision afterwards.

* * *

"America, I do think three movies is enough for a night." England said with a groan as the credits rolled up. He flopped onto his back, feeling like as if all his energy has been sapped out just by watching three movies. Maybe he really was getting old... America, however, didn't seem to be getting older like he is and hastily reached out for another movie.

"Are you sure? This is a great movie too!"

"Enough is enough," he stated, closing his eyes. Was it just him or did America sound a little panicked? "Now turn off the lights and go to sleep."

There was a brief pause before America finally complied, disappointment evident in his voice. "Fine..." He then went to turn off the lights.

England sighed and tried to relax himself to sleep. He said 'tried' because America just wouldn't stop shifting beside him.

"What on Earth are you– ..." And that was when he saw it – the ceiling, dotted with numerous glow-in-the dark stickers. It was messy but stunning all the same, almost comparable to a clear night sky. That wasn't what took his breath away though but...

"That is going to be a pain to remove." England began as he turned to face America, who did the same as he laughed nervously.

"Y-Yeah? It was a pain putting them up there too..."

"Then you shouldn't have done so," England remarked, looking straight into America's eyes and trying to ignore the fact that his cheeks was heating up at an alarming rate. The light in America's eyes seemed to dim a little at his response, obviously crushed, and he could safely assume that the other wasn't able to see his reddening cheeks in the dark. America frowned slightly, a rare occurence, and was about to turn away but England stopped him, cupping his cheeks to keep him there. But the bright blues just wouldn't look at him and without thinking about the consequence, he closed the distance between them and pressed a soft but brief kiss to America's lips. Those eyes now widened in surprise, and England couldn't help but admire them – they looked even more beautiful up close.

With much reluctance, he pulled away slowly. For a minute or two, there was just silence, neither party wanting to risk breaking the moment by saying something inappropriate.

England was the one who spoke up first. "For someone who interrupts important world meetings without any remorse, you sure are being quiet now."

America puffed out his cheeks childishly. "I am not good with this, okay?"

"Neither am I, but..." England bit his lip. He had never been great in expressing how he truly felt through spoken words. He averted his gaze, unsure, before he looked at America fully in the eyes once more. "I like you too... A lot."

Slowly but surely, America became more like his usual self again and smiled, bright and confident and loving and hopeful and many other things that England couldn't put into words. He could feel his cheeks heating up again and this time, there was no hiding it since America had decided to cup them gently. "England–..."

"A-And for the record! 'A lot' is spelt as two separate words!"

And America, bless that boy, ignored him and pulled him in for another kiss – a much longer and very satisfying one, might he add. His eyes trailed over to the ceiling once more, searching among the glow-in-the-dark stars the message that was worded out using the stickers.

_I like you, England. Alot._

No... This was far, _far_ more beautiful than a clear night sky. With that thought in mind and a soft smile on his lips, he closed his eyes and lost himself in the kiss.


	2. Messages on a Window

**Title:** Messages on a Window  
**Rating/Warnings:** PG  
**Summary:**Two neighbours who live too close for comfort finds romance.

**A/N:** Written for the 2012 USxUK Anthology over at the usxuk community on LiveJournal!

* * *

_Arthur's Side._

* * *

It wasn't the ideal bedroom.

The room is a small, simple one with a lovely shade of blue painted over the walls. There was a large picture window at the front that overlooked the main street, and a much smaller double-hung window by the side. The room was cozy and had a nice set of furniture to go along with. It would have been perfect, if not for the fact that the house was built too close to the neighbour's and he could very easily see into the room that aligned with his – which meant that whoever in that room could very easily see into his room too, something which Arthur wasn't very comfortable with. And even then he wouldn't have minded it all that much, but the person living in that room just happened to be a boy around his age named Alfred F. Jones, which was a very big minus, mind you.

Where should he begin? For one, Alfred was far too extroverted for his liking. Since the day he moved in, Alfred did not even consider the fact that he might want a little privacy and just reached over to pull up Arthur's window to greet him.

"Hiya, new neighbour! The name's Alfred. What's yours?"

Needless to say, Alfred hadn't left a very good first impression on him. The days that followed didn't exactly help either. Not only was he too extroverted, but he was extremely loud and a bit of a show-off as well, constantly inventing new ways to attract the attention of others. It was annoying, but still tolerable with a few cups of calming Earl Grey and a few unpleasant words towards Alfred on occasion. _Many_occasions.

Alfred had his days, of course. Days when Arthur would think maybe having him as his neighbour was not as bad as he originally thought. Those days don't come often, but when they do, it was usually after he had a row with his parents or his brothers. Alfred, being the nosy neighbour that he is, would hear the shouting and pull up the mere two windows that separated them to try cheer him up – usually with a really bad pun joke or with an assurance that tomorrow will definitely be a better day. It works, but it was mostly because Alfred has such an earnest grin on his face while he does it that Arthur couldn't help but smile as well. Those days, he was glad to be able to have a person he could call 'a friend'.

But overtime, something tugged at his heartstrings whenever he thought of Alfred as a friend. He didn't know the exact word to describe that feeling until the night came when Alfred suddenly announced that there was going to be a 'totally awesome' meteor shower happening and invited him over onto his rooftop to watch. It was chilly out then and Arthur wasn't sure what made him agreed to such an idiotic plan that could very likely make him sick the next morning but he did. It was mostly because of Alfred's persistence that he relented, he told himself.

They watched the night sky and waited in the cold like fools, but Arthur had to admit that, for once, he was the bigger fool for not bringing out a coat and insisting that he didn't need it because he was far too prideful to admit to feeling cold. Alfred watched him and when he finally couldn't hold in a sneeze, he didn't hesitate to take off his jacket and put it around Arthur's shoulder with a wide smile. As cliche as this is going to sound, just as Alfred smiled, the meteor shower happened and Arthur's eyes widened, both at how beautiful his friend looked in the brilliant light and at the realisation that he had fallen in love. When he finally got himself to turn away, he didn't dare look at Alfred for the rest of the night.

It was an emotion he didn't want to have labelled.

Winter came soon enough and snow started to fall. It was absolutely freezing but that didn't stop Alfred from pulling up his window every day to wish him a good morning. Arthur didn't appreciate that very much of course, since every time his window opens, it felt like the temperature in the room dropped a couple of degrees. He often lamented Alfred for it as well, and said that if he finally does catch a cold, he doesn't want to hear his whining. Alfred would just wave it off and with a roll of his eyes, say: _Yes, mom._Arthur would huff at him but whenever Alfred turn away, there would be a small smile on his lips.

Then, a different morning came. It was different in the sense that unlike what Alfred usually does, which was to be completely inconsiderate and just pull up the window to greet a good morning, he knocked on the glass of the window._Gently._Both things which surprised Arthur and made him thought that he might be imagining the sound. But when he looked towards the window, there was Alfred with his usual bright smile. Sighing, Arthur decided to just play along and pull up his window.

"Are you an idiot? It's bloody freezing out here," he said, noticing the snow that was beginning to pile on Alfred's hair. He shook the snow off though and Arthur most certainly did not think that it was cute.

"Maybe..." Alfred began in a mutter and Arthur quirked an eyebrow. This was new... Alfred actually not protesting to being called an idiot. "Anyway, I have something very important to tell you."

"A good morning isn't very important, now hurry back in," Arthur replied, already making a move to shut his window. "I don't want to have the blame pushed onto me when you–..."

The feeling of something very warm and soft against his lips stopped him from continuing to speak. He stared at Alfred, whose eyes were closed and whose face was suddenly very close to his. So much so that he could feel his breath brushing across his upper lip. It took him a while but he finally came to the dumbfounding conclusion that Alfred was kissing him. Just as he realised that however, Alfred pulled away, abruptly ending the kiss that started just as abruptly.

Alfred withdrew into his room and for a while, rubbed at the back of his neck in a sheepish manner. There was a light pink to his cheeks that Arthur was sure reflected his own's, if the heat on his face was any indication. Alfred pulled down his own bedroom window and all Arthur could do throughout the process was to stare, stunned.

Alfred bit his lip, seemingly unsure, before he blew a breath over the glass of his window and began to write something. Being the inconsiderate person that he is, he didn't bother to write it for the reader's convenience of course, but Arthur could still easily make out the message.

_I kind of really like you._

If his heart wasn't beating rapidly before, it certainly was now. His gaze shifted from those simple words to Alfred, who had on him a smile. A smile that was sincere, hopeful, nervous, cheeky and bashful all at the same time. Arthur blushed even more, something he had been doing too much of lately and berated himself for it, and had to look away simply out of embarrassment. Too surprised and nervous to form a reply, he walked away without saying a word or even so much of a glance at Alfred.

* * *

_Alfred's Side._

* * *

Alfred's smile slowly dropped as Arthur disappeared into his room. His heart, that had been beating so fast before, now sunk and his chest tightened uncomfortably. He pouted, stuffed his hands into his jeans' pockets and mindlessly kicked at his bedroom floor repeatedly. Whatever fantasies he had of being able to pull Arthur over to his room and hold him close was crushed within just a mere second. Suddenly feeling very much exhausted even though he had a good night's sleep before, he got into his bed and buried himself in the comfort of his blanket, not really in the mood to spend the rest of the day and wanting to just sleep it all off. He lay in bed for a while, numerous thoughts in his head, before he finally wore himself out from thinking and finally fell asleep.

When he woke up, his room was already dark, a sign that night has fallen. Alfred stared up at his ceiling and for some time, thought about what he should do. He knew he still wanted to be around Arthur and see the smile that had remained on his mind for quite some time now – the one he saw when he gave Arthur his jacket during that night when the sky was decorated with streaks of light. It was small and brief, but he caught it and couldn't forget about it ever since then. With that in mind, he gathered his courage and got up, walking over to the window with the intention to apologise and ask Arthur if they could still be friends. He was disappointed though when he saw that Arthur's room was dark and thought that he must have already fallen asleep. He was just about to walk away when something brightly coloured at the bottom corner of Arthur's bedroom window caught his eyes. It was a yellow sticky note. He squinted and saw on it, in small writing:

_I think I kind of really like you, too._


	3. By the Waters

**Title:** By the Waters  
**Rating/Warnings:** PG. A few sexual innuendos here and there but nothing too explicit.  
**Summary:**Normal pick-up lines won't work on swimmers. You have to use swimming pool pick-up lines on swimmers, of course!

* * *

He could still remember the day when Alfred first spoke to him like it was yesterday. It had been at the public swimming pool complex that he goes to every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for an hour long of swimming session. That day, the day when Alfred first approached him, he was wearing sunglasses. Alfred, that is. He himself wouldn't be foolish enough to wear a pair of sunglasses in an _indoor_swimming pool.

Admittedly, he noticed Alfred way before they even properly met. How could he not when he was easily the fittest man in the complex? And with his sun-kissed blond hair, baby blue eyes–... He found it hard not to develop a tiny bit of attraction for that man, and by the time Alfred finally approached him, Arthur had already (albeit grudgingly) admitted that he was, for a lack of better term, 'crushing' on that man.

He was already aware that Alfred was walking towards him but acted like he didn't and pretended to be occupied with searching for something in his bag. Alfred tapped on his shoulder and only then did he acknowledge his presence.

"Yes?"

Alfred rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit unsure for a second before he cleared his throat and with a confident smile, said: "Do you know why I have these sunglasses?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow. That sounded suspiciously like an opening sentence to a horrible pick-up line.

"Because I'm blinded by your beauty."

Arthur stared at him in disbelief for a moment, trying to make out whether the other man was being serious or not. But judging from the proud grin on his face that told people that he thought he had done a great job... He was.

It was then that Arthur realised he had been developing an infatuation for a complete dolt.

But somehow... that only made him like Alfred a little bit more.

And since he hadn't exactly rejected Alfred on his first try (he found it incredibly hard to when he was grinning so stupidly like that), for the next few days, Alfred became relentless in flirting with him using his atrocious pick-up lines.

"Now, how'd you fit that great big thing into that lil' speedo?"

"I noticed you thrashing about, would you like to hold onto my floaties?"

"If you went swimming with me, I'd lick you dry." Arthur had blushed and kicked Alfred into the pool for that one, but shortly got his revenge by saying this following after:

"Sorry, did I make you all wet?" he said with a smirk, nothing with no small amount of satisfaction that Alfred's cheeks had gone a little red.

Revenge is certainly sweet.

Then there was that one time when Alfred feigned having a cramp while swimming in the pool and Arthur dived into the pool to rescue him. When he eventually got to him, he pulled him into his arms... only to get pushed away. Arthur stared at him in confusion, and that was when Alfred said it:

"Don't save me! Let me go down three times!"

And went down three times he did as Arthur dunked his head into the water more than thrice.

In any case, he slowly fell for Alfred's... dare he say it, 'charms' and finally gave the answer Alfred wanted with all those idiotic pick-up lines. The complex operates twenty-four hours and that day, for some reason, he decided to stay a little longer and did a few extra laps.

Okay, so maybe there was an intention for staying. It was just the matter of him wanting to admit to it or not.

"Hey Arthur." Alfred greeted cheerily as they brushed past each other in the middle of the pool. Arthur stopped and glared at him.

"I swear, if you are going to use another of your pick-up lines again..."

"Woah, chill man. I didn't know that you hated them that much..." he said, looking a little dejected. Arthur scoffed at that.

"To be fair, they were quite terrible..."

"Yeah? Think you've got a better pick-up line?"

"I've got one."

Perhaps it was the fact that they were finally alone, or maybe the moonlight that shone through the glass roof and lit up the swimming pool provided a romantic setting... Anyway, without thinking about it at all, Arthur had grabbed at Alfred's arms and pulled him in for a kiss. A very long one that lasted a minute, five minutes, ten minutes... He didn't really know. To him, it had felt like an eternity, but yet when they pulled away, he didn't felt like it was enough. Contradicting and strange, yet delightful feeling that is.

"How was that a line?" Alfred teased with a chuckle, and still looking very much dazed from the wonderful (at least in Arthur's opinion) kiss they just had.

"Oh, shut up."

"So all this while, you liked my lines?"

"Of course not! Like I said, they were terrible!"

"So... You like _me_?"

Arthur felt his cheeks heating up and Alfred merely grinned that stupid grin of his again. Wanting to wipe that smug look off the other's face, Arthur pulled him in for yet another kiss. But just before their lips met, Alfred managed to get his last laugh by saying: "I knew it."

Sugar. He will get him the next time.


	4. The Perfect Gift

**Title:** The Perfect Gift  
**Rating/Warnings:** G  
**Summary:** Arthur is in search of a birthday gift for Alfred, which isn't as easy as it seems.

* * *

The perfect gift. It has many definitions, depending on the person. To some, the perfect gift has to be expensive and of high value while others would be perfectly content with a handmade card. Some might love the idea of receiving a bouquet while there are others who would want things that are actually useful. Whatever the case might be, searching for gifts is, more often than not, a difficult task.

_Should I go for romantic? Or maybe something practical? What if he already has it?_

Never in my life have I found myself stressing over something as minor as picking out a gift. On this Sunday evening however, it proved to be an exception as I walked around town in search of a birthday present for my American boyfriend. It wasn't like I didn't know what Alfred likes; I could have easily buy a MacBreakfast set and that fool would be pleased about it. But oh no, I was in search of something special, something memorable. Something perfect.

And something that did not come from MacDonald's, if that had not been already made clear enough.

With a sigh, I continued on, occasionally glancing into the windows of passing shops with little interest. I have, by now, seen the same shops a couple of times since I have spent most of the day walking around this area. I paused in my tracks now to check the time, only to find that it was already seven. Having left with no choice as it was getting late, I made a turn and headed back down the street towards the best option I could find today. The shop soon came into sight, with numerous stuffed animals sitting in an orderly manner on shelves for display through the large shop window. I took a quick look at the sign.

Build-a-Bear Workshop.

I stepped in and was given a friendly welcome by a female staff, who then proceeded to guide me through the process of building a bear.

Although it was a little embarrassing for a grown man to be kissing a heart, hugging a bear and giving it a 'shower' in public, I did find myself smiling and having, admittedly, quite a bit of fun. After it was all done, I paid the cashier and walked out with Mister Honey in a box tucked safely under my arm. Mister Honey is a gentleman bear, of course. The little top hat that sits on his head was a proof of that.

The gift wasn't exactly what I have been looking for but nonetheless, I was still quite sure that it would put a smile on Alfred's face. The mere thought of it creates a warm feeling in my heart and to be honest, I was really looking forward to handing the present over to Alfred tomorrow.

The next day, I took the cab to Alfred's house. Knowing that there is a florist around near where he lives, I requested for the driver to drop me there instead to get a small bouquet of roses to accompany Mister Honey.

"Hello." I bowed a little in greeting before gesturing towards the vase containing the red roses. "Eleven of those, please."

"Ah. For a lover, I see?" The florist asked with a smile as she picked the roses out. I blushed a little and nodded. The florist only continued to smile but said nothing else. Once the bouquet was done and paid for, I walked out of the shop, counting the number of roses just to double-check on my way out. Exactly eleven. I wasn't sure why I was so particular about it since the dolt would most probably not know what eleven roses mean anyway.

It wasn't that far from the florist to Alfred's house but it was still a distance, about a ten minutes' walk perhaps. Somewhere along the way though, it started to drizzle. It was not all that bad at first but before I could reach my destination, the drizzle turned into a heavy downpour. The quick steps then changed into a run, which was not a very good idea since it eventually caused me to slip and fall. I did try to protect the gifts by cradling them close to my chest but it wasn't any good since I landed into a puddle and my weight managed to crush the delicate flowers.

"Bloody hell..." I muttered under my breath as I picked myself up, along with the now very miserable looking box and even more miserable looking bouquet. I was quite upset, to say the least, since I have just literally crushed the hopes of seeing the much beloved smile within a moment of carelessness. I thought about avoiding going to Alfred's altogether but I have already made the promise to come and gentlemen, whether they like it or not, do not break their promises.

And so, with a heavy heart, I trudged my way towards his house, taking more than the expected ten minutes to arrive.

When I finally reached his doorstep, I rang the doorbell and as if on cue, heavy footsteps were heard. I smiled sadly, feeling sorry for the disappointment that the poor boy was about to receive.

"Artie!" He greeted with a grin so bright it hurts to see it. It hurts because that grin would soon change into an expression less pleasant. My shoulders slumped and I must have been frowning since Alfred's next question was:

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned. I lifted the ruined box and bouquet up slightly, the movement causing Alfred to shift his attention towards them. I daren't look at him.

"I-I am sorry, Alfred. I ruined your gift."

"What are you talking about?"

I looked up now, confused at his question. Did he not see the state it was in? "Are you blind? Can't you—"

My sentence was then cut off by an abrupt kiss. Momentarily stunned, I found myself standing there dumbly as I stared at Alfred with wide eyes. He eventually pulled away with an amused chuckle and I turned slightly red in embarrassment.

"My gift looks perfect." He said, his blue eyes looking straight into my green ones. It took me some time but I finally understood what he meant and looked away, trying to hide my face which was surely redder than before.

"Idiot."

"I know." He laughed before pulling me in gently for a second kiss. I responded this time, dropping the items to the floor in favour of using my hands to cup Alfred's cheeks instead.

What I did not know was that as we kissed, Alfred cracked open an eye to peek at the bouquet by our feet and made a mental count.

One, two, three, four… Eleven stalks. Eleven roses.

_You are my treasured one; the one I love most in my life._


	5. Playing Doctor

**Title:** Playing Doctor  
**Rating/Warnings:** G  
**Summary:** There is this one odd habit that is characteristic to Alfred, whose dream is to become a doctor.

* * *

**Age 5**

When I was younger, I am a bit of a brat. I would often climb trees too tall or jump over spaces too wide. It often got me into trouble and injuries were a commonplace. On a particular day, however, I suffered a pretty bad fall from a tree and scraped the length of my leg across the bark on my way down. It left me with several deep cuts and scratches. Needless to say, it was painful. I sat down, trying to bite back my tears and whines of pain as I inspected my bloodied leg.

"Are you okay?"

I looked up to the source of voice and was greeted by a blonde boy around my age with blue eyes that were as clear as day. I nodded a little in response, causing the tears that have gathered at the edge of my eyes to fall off.

"You liar! Here, lemme help you." And with that, he swept me off the ground and carried me princess-style in an abrupt movement. Almost immediately, I began to struggle and flushed deep red in embarrassment.

"P-Put me down this instant!"

"Nuh-uh! You are in no condition to walk. Don't worry, Doctor Alfred will take care of it!" He kept a firm hold on me, making sure I was safe in his arms before starting to walk. Not wanting to make this any more difficult for him, I remained still.

"I find it hard to believe that you are a doctor." I finally said with a snort, having looked him up and down.

"Not now. But in the future, I definitely am!"

I scowled at the sheer overconfidence being exhibited. "So your name is Alfred?"

"Yep! What's yours?" He asked, averting his gaze from the road to me.

"Arthur."

"Artie."

"Arthur."

"Artie."

"Stop it. It's Arthur."

"Look, Artie. We're here!" He declared before setting me down against a tree. I puffed out my cheeks in annoyance, knowing that Alfred is just ignoring my words and trying to change the subject.

"Wait here." He ordered with a pat on my shoulder before disappearing into a house, which I assumed was where he lived. He came back soon after with a long piece of bandage and a roll of tape. He then knelt down beside me and went about wrapping my leg up with the bandage, as if he really knew what he was doing, or pretending to be, anyway. I watched him for a bit before deciding to speak again.

"Why do you want to be a doctor?"

"Well, obviously 'cause I get to save people! It's like being a hero, ya know?" He seems to be really happy talking about it, if the grin on his face was anything to go by.

"A-Ah..."

"There, all done!" His grin turned even wider as he pulled back. I blinked once before tilting my head down to take a look at his work. It was a mess, but with that expression on his face at this moment, I really did not have the heart to tell him that he probably would not make it as a doctor.

"Oh!"

My thoughts were then interrupted as I looked back up at him. He fumbled around in his pockets before finally finding what he has been looking for. A piece of sweet.

"Here!" He took my hand and placed the sweet on my palm. I tilted my head in slight confusion.

"Doctors always give candies to their patients, right?"

"You mean sweets."

"Candies."

"Sweets."

"You're weird."

"You are strange."

We stared at each other for a moment before bursting out in laughter.

"Where do you live? I can ask my dad to drive you home." He offered. I looked around before shaking my head and pointing to the house just across the street.

"It's fine. I live there."

He looked to where I pointed and grinned. "Well, in that case...!" He repeated the move from before, picking me up in his arms and carrying me back to my house. I was berating him during the whole journey but Alfred only responded with cheerful laughs.

And somehow, that marks the beginning of our friendship.

* * *

**Age 7**

"Now say 'ahhh'."

I rolled my eyes but did so, anyway. Alfred has just gotten one of those medical play set and immediately decided that I play the patient for him. Right now, he was peering into my mouth, holding my tongue down using a popsicle stick that he have gotten earlier this afternoon. He squinted to get a better look before finally pulling back with a smile.

Just when I thought it was over, he picked up the stethoscope, making me groan in slight impatience. He placed the bell over my chest where the heart is and listened intently for a good minute, something he have never done before since he is more of a talker.

"I can hear your heart, Artie..." He finally said before removing the instrument. I gave him a strange look.

He wrote a few things into a notebook before speaking again. "It's just a minor case of flu. Just follow the... the..."

"Prescription?"

"... Right! Follow the prescription and you will be fine."

"Yes, thank you, doctor." I said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Unfortunately, he was not able to catch on to that and smiled even wider. He then picked out a piece of sweet from a glass jar. I raised an eyebrow as he handed it over to me.

"There!"

"Alfred, I don't—"

He interrupted me. "No objections! It's just what doctors do."

I sighed and shook my head. I could never really understand just what was going on in his mind.

* * *

**Age 8**

I was feeling nothing but misery as of now, the pain in my mouth unwilling to subside. I curled up in my bed, wanting to just—

Several knocks.

I looked up to the door with an exasperated sigh. "Come in."

The door creaked and slowly revealed…

Alfred.

"What is it?" I mumbled, trying not to move my jaw too much. He walked over to sit on the edge of my bed and in response, I rolled to the other side and turned my back to him. I was in a bad mood and not afraid to show it.

"Your mom told my mom that you're hurting somewhere, so I came to visit."

I only made a grunt in response, wishing he would just leave and let me be.

"So where does it hurt?" He asked as he climbed over so he could look at me. Knowing just how persistent he is, I pointed to my cheek.

He then grinned. "I read from somewhere that it takes a lot more muscles to frown than to smile, so I guess that's why, huh?" He laughed, finding himself to be completely humorous. I shot him a death glare and smacked him across the arm. He yelped in a mixture of pain and surprise, rubbing at where I just hit with a slight frown on his face.

"Not my cheek, you idiot. My teeth."

"Ohhhhh." He smiled now.

"Idiot." I repeated as my glare softened into scowl. Which was then Alfred decided to do the smartest thing in the world, which was to grab my chin and force my mouth open.

"OW OW OW OW OW OWW!" I winced in agony as he took a quick look inside.

"Yep! Just a case of good ol' toothache." He concluded before finally releasing me. I resisted the urge to throttle him, knowing he did not really mean any harm. He shoved his hand into his pants' pocket and produced a sweet, which he then gave it to me. I was well aware of this odd characteristic of his by now and did not question it.

"I can't eat that, you dolt."

"Why not?"

"I have a toothache."

"So?"

I stared at him in disbelief for a minute or two before burying my face into the pillow, leaving a very confused Alfred to wonder what he did wrong.

* * *

**Age 12**

It was a lovely day out, a little warm but still nice. Perfect for two boys to be sitting near the edge of a lake and talk about meaningless things. Or, in our case, perfect for the obnoxious one to ramble on about how his week went.

"And then, and then—"

"Alfred."

"—I was like 'Nooooo'."

"Alfred."

"But, but he—"

"Alfred!"

He finally shut his mouth up.

"Keep it that way." I sighed, closing my eyes and listening to the quiet, completely at ease. Apparently, it wasn't the case for Alfred and he proceeded to shove me playfully towards the shallow waters. Having caught unaware, I fell straight in.

"BLOODY HELL! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" I glared at him from where I was, my clothes soaked through. Alfred, who did not think much into it, only dismissed it with a laugh.

"It's warm out, so it's fine, isn't it?"

"NO! No, it isn't!" I was really mad. And I guess Alfred sensed it in my tone and his voice became a little higher than usual.

"Y-You are not angry, are you?"

"Oh no no no no no NO!" I threw my arms up dramatically. "I am completely happy about this!"

"I'm sorry, Artie..." Somehow, that nickname only served to infuriate me all the more and I stormed off, abandoning the other to reflect on his actions.

* * *

The next day, I woke up with a fever and was unable to make it to school. I stayed in bed all day, feeling completely miserable. I hate to admit it, but the reason I was feeling this way is not because of the fever at all, but because I might have just lost a friend, my only friend, for good.

There was a knock on my door. "Arthur?"

"Mum?"

"May I come in?"

"Yes, of course."

My mother then came in smiling sweetly. I tried to smile back but found it difficult to do so.

"Alfred came by and left this for you." She said and I could feel my mood instantly lightening up. She left an envelope with a suspicious lump on it on my bedside table before turning towards the door. "Come down for dinner whenever you are ready."

"All right." I said with a nod, waiting for her to leave the room before sitting up. I picked the simple, white envelope up and carefully peeled at the flap. And out drops a note and a sweet. I chuckled a little at the piece of confectionery. It was Alfred, all right. My attention was then brought to the note:

_Are you okay? You didn't come to school today..._

"I am now, Alfred." I whispered to the empty room with a smile.

* * *

**Age 22**

I have already forgotten what we were arguing about.

"Why should you care what I do, anyway?!" Alfred spat, glaring at me. It was an expression I was not used to and will never be. What hurts the most though was not the angry blue eyes that were looking straight at me, but his words. I knew why that was, the reply to his question, but I could never bring myself to admit it, let alone tell him.

"Fine! In that case, I won't!"

There was a deafening silence as we both just stared at each other with in an unpleasant manner. Without giving much thought into it, I spoke the next few words that I would come to regret for a long, long time:

"I am so glad you are leaving the States for London tomorrow, that way I will never have to put up with you and your idiocies ever again!"

Instead of a scathing retort I have been expecting, silence was the only response and Alfred's expression from anger into that of hurt. His eyes seemed to shine and he looked like as if he was about to cry. Momentarily stunned, I could only stare at him. I wanted to say something but my pride was too much and the words remained clogged in my throat.

Without saying anything else, Alfred turned around and walked away. I wanted to stop him and apologise but my legs wouldn't move. I wasn't sure how long I just stood there frozen but when I finally snapped out of it, I knew it was far too late.

With Alfred's pained expression imprinted in memory, I went home.

* * *

I woke up early the next morning with the intention of going to Alfred and giving him a last goodbye before he flew across the pond to pursue his studies in the medical field. I lifted up a little of the blinds to peer out of the window to his house, already beginning to hesitate. I wasn't given much time to decide though however, as Alfred soon emerged out of his house with his baggage, giving his mother a hug before following his father into the car.

_What is he thinking of at this moment?_

Just right before he stepped into the car, I could have sworn blue eyes looking straight into my green ones. It was so brief I might have imagined it. When the car finally drove out of sight, my heart broke.

"I love you..." The words that I have kept in me for so long were finally drawn out in a whisper. For the first time in seventeen years, something in me hurts and there were no sweets from Alfred to get me through it.

* * *

**Age 32**

I woke up first thing in the morning with a throbbing headache and feeling like my whole body is burning. I slapped a hand to my forehead, trying to get the room to stop spinning but was only hit with the realisation that I am having a fever.

Goddammit. I should have known that was too much alcohol for me to take.

Putting that aside, being sick reminded me of Alfred, which was the last thing I wanted in my life right now. Then again, I always thought about him. It has been ten years now and still I have not forgiven myself for what had happened back then. But what was there that could be done when it has already been so long and the person wasn't here?

_I miss him._

I coughed several times before getting up from bed and washed myself up, feeling my temperature going higher. A sigh. It seems that a visit to the doctor was inevitable. I changed into a simple shirt and trousers before heading out to town and looked around for a clinic. I wasn't very good in directions and places, you see, and just went into the first one I laid my eyes on.

I stepped in and was immediately greeted by a smell, the one that you would quickly identify it with a clinic. It was still early and I assumed that I was the first patient for that day, seeing that there wasn't anyone else besides the nurse. I registered myself at the counter and was then ushered into the consultation room without having to wait.

I opened the door and was instantly hit by the familiarity of the blue eyes that were looking at me right now. I froze, unsure of how to respond but was finally brought out from my trance when the other person cleared his throat.

"A-Arthur?"

"Alfred." I surprised even myself at how calm my voice sounded. I closed the door before sitting down on the chair provided. The atmosphere felt awkward and it made me more uncomfortable than I already am. From the corner of my eyes, I could see that Alfred's fingers were curled tightly into a small piece of paper he was holding in his hands.

We didn't say much afterwards, only the occasional questions and answers about how I was feeling and the symptoms I was displaying. It was all good until he needed to auscultate.

_I can hear your heart, Artie..._

I found myself blushing and becoming more self-conscious at the memory and if Alfred's fidgeting during that period was anything to go by, he remembers it as well. We didn't dare to make eye contact for the rest of the checks. It was only after when it was all done did we finally look at each other.

"Just a flu." He wrote a few things on a card before grinning and reaching over to a glass jar full of sweets and took one out, offering it to me. I looked at it for a moment.

"Some things never change." I commented with a laugh as I took the sweet from his palm. Somehow, my action caused him to turn a little pink in the face.

"Y-Yeah..." He muttered, rubbing the back of his head in a nervous way. When no other words came, I stood up and prepared to leave.

"Wait."

My heart skipped a beat. I turned my head and looked over my shoulder back at Alfred. "Y-Yes?"

"S-Say..." He was twiddling his thumbs in the most endearing manner. "A-Are you free this evening? Maybe you could drop by later when the clinic closes and we could go for a cup of coffee to catch up or something..." There was nothing on Alfred's face right now that spelt confidence and I was quite amused by it, so much so that I just stared at him and forgot I was supposed to reply to him. He took my silence as rejection however and his shoulders slumped.

"I-I mean, it's fine if you don't want to, I just—"

"Alfred."

"—want to talk, ya know. I—"

"Alfred."

"—only recently—"

"Alfred!"

He stopped talking now and gave me the chance to voice my opinion on this matter. I sighed before smiling a little. Some things _really_never change.

"That sounds lovely. I would very much like that."

"R-Really?"

I nodded. "Yes. But wait till I am recovered first, at least." I chuckled and that brought the pink back on his cheeks once more.

"Okay then..." He smiled and it was my turn to blush. I have no idea just how much I missed it until now. I quickly looked away and turned the doorknob, stepping out of the room.

"Thank you, Doctor Alfred. I shall take my leave now."

"Feel better soon!"

I closed the door with an even wider smile than before, feeling happiness for the first time in a very long while.

* * *

**Age 35**

I raised an eyebrow as Alfred presented to me a piece of sweet out of the blue. As if on reflex, I asked:

"Why are you giving me this sweet for? I am not even sick."

"Candy." He corrected me before pressing a kiss to my forehead while placing the sweet on my palm. I cannot help but notice the wrapper. It was an opaque and shiny red one, the kind of packaging you would expect to see on Valentine's Day. "And you are love_sick_with me, aren't ya?" He laughed, causing me to roll my eyes. I accepted it anyway and peeled the wrapper off. Instead of the coloured lump of sugar that I have been expecting, it revealed an engagement ring.

I looked up to Alfred now with wide eyes as he slowly knelt down in front of me, smiling that melting smile of his.

"Arthur Kirkland, will you marry me?"


	6. Forever Yours

**Title:** Forever  
**Rating/Warnings:** G  
**Summary:**Alfred is being strange about asking Arthur to test out his new earphones.

**A/N:** A short one this time. And also I just wanted to thank you, the readers, for the faves and reviews so far. I appreciate each and every of them!

* * *

_Arthur's Side._

* * *

"What ever happened to your last one?" Arthur asked when Alfred came up to him one day with a new pair of earphones, urging him to test it out.

"Uh, I dropped it into the toilet bowl."

Arthur did not indulge himself in wondering what on Earth Alfred is doing with earphones in the washroom. He merely nodded, plugged one side of the earphones into his right ear and settled comfortably into the couch with a book on his lap. Alfred sat down close beside him and plugged the other side into his left ear. He wouldn't admit this out loud, but it was nice to spend some time like this – just being together in a nice sort of silence.

The song that came up first was Life Is A Highway, which was nothing out of the ordinary from Alfred's playlist. The boy was rather fond of loud music, he'd learnt. What is out of the ordinary, however, was that he was fidgeting about in a manner he identified as 'nervous'. Furrowing his eyebrows, he ignored it and tried to concentrate on his book.

...

By the time it transitioned into the next song, it was beginning to become infuriating. He was about to ask just what is with Alfred when the lyrics and rhythm of the next song stopped him.

_I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad  
Carry you around when your arthritis is bad  
Oh all I wanna do is grow old with you_

He blinked before his eyebrows furrowed into a much deeper frown than before. Alfred had always been quick to make fun of him whenever _he_listens to a love song.

_I'll miss you  
Kiss you  
Give you my coat when you are cold_

He looked over to his lover now, surprised he hadn't skip to the next song yet. What greeted him was not what he had been expecting. Alfred was looking straight at him with a serious expression on his face, cheeks a dark red.

_I could be the man who grows old with you  
I wanna grow old with you_

W-Was he...?

* * *

_Alfred's Side._

* * *

Alfred stretched as he lifted himself off the bed. He normally didn't mind mornings but today, he wasn't feeling all that cheerful like he normally is. He absentmindedly brushed his fingers over the empty space beside him on the large bed, recalling the event last night. Arthur had blushed like he guessed he would but afterwards, he had just put his book aside, bid him a good night and headed straight for the bedroom. Had Arthur gotten it? Or had he been rejected?

Alfred quickly tried to convince himself that he had been too subtle and Arthur didn't manage to catch the intention behind his actions.

With a little dread, he dragged himself out of bed, eyes raking over the evidence of Arthur's morning. Arthur had left early for work as usual. He reached over to the bedside table and picked up his iTouch, hoping a song or two could help lift his spirits up a little. He browsed through the _Recently Added_list, quickly scanning the short list until he reached the bottom.

I Do (Cherish You) – 98 degrees.

Alfred furrowed his eyebrows slightly in confusion. He did not remember ever adding that song. Curious, he played it.

_All I am, all I'll be  
Everything in this world  
All that I'll ever need  
Is in your eyes_

It took him a while, but his eyes finally widened. C-Could it be...?

_For the rest of my life  
You don't have to think twice  
I will love you still  
From the depths of my soul  
It's beyond my control  
I've waited so long to say this to you  
If you're asking do I love you this much  
I do_

Blushing slightly, he flopped back down onto the bed and buried his face into the soft pillows. Unable to keep the smile off his face, he thought to himself:

_I'll properly propose to you tonight, and make you say those two words yourself._


End file.
